Alternatives
by Chalantelle
Summary: AU in which Zatanna is in the place of Oliver Queen! She's the successor to a large company previously owned by her deceased father by day, and a vigilante archer at night. Recently returned from the dead after five years, she struggles to fit back in and wants to bring justice to Gotham City. Chalant and a bit of Traught.
1. Return

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

**So yeah, this is an extremely alternate universe in which Zatanna is a vigilante archer! It's kinda based on Green Arrow: Year One. This story is going to be rather long as well... If you liked it, just leave a review! Oh yeah, there will be two flashbacks!**

* * *

Chapter One: Return

"_Zatanna Zatara, daughter of famous businessman John Zatara, has been presumed dead for the last five years. Her father was sadly killed in the shipwreck that took her away from us, but now she has returned..._" Zatanna turned away from the TV on the wall in her hospital room. She then proceeded to look out onto the city of Gotham.

"How's she doing?"

"Well, there are about seven fractured bones that never fully healed, quite a few scars... Looks like she's in recovery though."

"Has she said anything about her experience?"

"_No_. She's hardly said anything at all."

Sindella and Doctor Smoke looked through the glass at her daughter. She was standing still, in a white t-shirt with rolled up sleeves and green combats, staring into the skyline of Gotham City. Every now and again, the girl would tap her black army boot against the linoleum floor.

Sindella took a deep breath before opening the door and shutting it behind her.

"_Zatanna_?" She spoke sympathetically. This was likely because she knew her daughter had been through some tough times, yet that was all. She had no details.

"Mom." The ebony-haired girl turned from the nightlife to hug her mother. They embraced for around four seconds before Sindella broke it apart.

"It's so _good_ to see you." She whispered into her daughter's ear, making the girl's cyan eyes twinkle and the corners of her lips twist upwards into a roguish smile.

As the chauffeur pulled up into he driveway of Zatara Mansion, Zatanna thought to herself while admiring the home she had missed so dearly. _Nothing's changed._ She then smiled her pretty smile and hopped out of the car, carrying her only belonging; a rectangular, handcrafted wooden suitcase. Only Zatanna herself knew of the contents. She lugged it though the front door, which was held open by her mother. As she began up the stairs, now carrying the suitcase on her back, her brother greeted her by almost smashing into her broken rib.

He didn't hug her, as he had a tendency to never be gentle and he had heard about her injuries.

"Good to see you, _sis_!" He smiled, patting her shoulder. As she smiled, she realised that she had missed her brother so much; the alcoholic, club-loving, womanising eighteen-year-old that he was. She ruffled his blond hair and looked into his forest green eyes. Her smile faded as she stared into his eyes. She shook her head, but could not stop herself reminiscing about the experience she had had.

* * *

"_Royal flush._" Zatanna called with a winning grin as she laid down her hand of cards. John slapped his forehead and handed over the hundred pounds she had won. A sudden jolt alerted the girl. "Did you feel that?" She stood up from the booth in the boat. Zatanna felt it swaying. The _Queen's Dream_ did not sway like this. Ever. Her father looked into her concerned eyes, but shrugged and carried on re-dealing cards.

"It's probably nothing. The ocean's always a _bit_ rocky." He motioned for her join him but she shook her head.

"No, it's a _storm_." She muttered as she threw a life vest at her father and put one over her head. She grabbed two water bottles and three bags of _Doritos_. She passed a bottle to him and placed the bags in the inside pockets of her vest. Zatanna then heard another slosh of water against the side of the _Queen's Dream_.

She tackled her unwilling father to the floor as she grabbed a life boat and inflated it. Soon enough, the ship snapped in half; the bow, and the captain had sunk already. She wrestled the older man into the dingy, where they watched as the ship floated down to the seabed. They hugged each other for warmth, little knowing that it would be their last hug.

A few hours later, the raft was getting them to no refuge.

"Zatanna, there aren't enough provisions for _both_ of us to make it out of this situation alive." John looked at his only daughter sternly. She stared at him with an extremely perplexed look. He handed her his bottled water. Then she caught on as he fumbled on his pocket.

"Dad, _no_. _NO_!" She screamed as he pulled out his pistol. He mouthed an apology while keeping her from taking the gun. He lifted it to his head and pulled the trigger. She tried to get him to wake up, knowing it was futile.

"Dad? _Dad_?" She shook his lifeless body, and after a few minutes, sobbed on it.

"Zatanna? _Zatanna_?" Someone was shaking her.

* * *

It was her mother.

"Are you okay? You just drifted off..." She winced at the word choice.

"_Yeah_. I'm fine." Zatanna began to walk around Zachary to get up to her room.

"We left you room how it was. We didn't have the _heart_ to change anything." Her mother added as she pulled the suitcase back over her shoulder and headed up the stairs. She found her room easily enough, exactly as it was before.

The same queen-sized bed, elegant curtains and dresser. She placed the suitcase underneath her bed and as she sat down, felt a squarish shape in her pocket. She took out the leather-bound book and flicked through its creamy pages. The book had belonged to her father, and holding it made her remember how she had got it.

* * *

After a few days in the raft, Zatanna was _still_ in the same predicament. It was irony really, a life raft; with her father's corpse in it. She felt the book in his pocket, and took it out. Zatanna knew that it was important because he would never carry anything but a gun and a pack of cigarettes unless it was. She had actually seen him flip through the notebook on occasion, but never questioned it. But now she _did_. Zatanna had often pondered what was in the book, and so she looked in it.

* * *

It was a book of rivals; all of Gotham City's richest, most famous people. Everyone who wouldn't care who's dream they'd crush, what the consequences were, or anything to get what they wanted; which was money. She looked in it, and the first name on the list was a Mr Alan Dent. Zatanna knew of him, a rich business man and owner of _Dent Multinational._ She put the book in a draw in her nightstand and jogged back down the stairs.

As she got down to the last few stairs, she began to walk slowly. "_Zatanna_... You remember Clark?" Sindella smiled and gestured to a man who Zatanna only vaguely remembered. She showed a look of confusion. "Your father's business associate? He's been running the industry while you were gone." Zatanna pretended to understand and nodded, adding a small greeting.

"Now, with you back in the picture, I guess that _you_ should take over." Clark smiled, his hand on Sindella's waist.

Zatanna noticed this.

"Oh okay, so you guys are-" she gestured to the pair and then wiggled her hands in a "_together_" motion. They both nodded, to which she sighed.

"We _wanted_ to tell you sooner, but you were..." Clark trailed off.

"Yeah, I was dead._ I get it_." She shook her head, turning around to head back up to her room.

"_Zatanna_..." Her mother sighed, she was always hotheaded.

* * *

**So, umm, I guess this is more of a prologue than anything, not a lot of action etc... I worked pretty hard on this so if you did like it let me know!**

**- Chalantelle out! :3**


	2. Interrogation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

**In case you're unaware, Richard = Dick. It's also still the same day at the beginning..**

* * *

Chapter Two: Interrogation

Richard Wayne sat in his cubicle at the Gotham City Law Firm. He tapped on his computer, researching another ruthless businessman, Alan Dent. He'd been working a lot recently, there had been a lot of crimes and cases to crack. However, Dick's father had only let him do the boring things because he was a policeman and his job was to enforce the law. A ginger with green eyes peeped over the cubicle wall at Dick.

"_What_, Wally." Dick sighed, turning to face him.

"Lets go out tonight, meet some chicks, get dr-" He began.

"No. I'm _working_." Dick turned back to his work. This was just general conversation between the two attorneys. Ever since Zatanna had left, Dick had become less fun. It was her who made him fun and rebellious. He stared at the screen, which bared a picture of Dent. He heard his friend sigh dramatically.

"Wally, this guy has swindled thousands of people out of their homes by unfair means, and you're telling me to ditch work? No. Can you _imagine_ what my father would say to that? Exactly, you don't _want_ to. Just go back to work and leave me alone." Dick glared at his friends, who held his hands in a surrender position and sat back down. He started up his research again.

* * *

Zatanna took off her jumper and sighed as she looked in the mirror. _I don't even recognise myself._ She thought to herself as she eyed the stitches on her arms.

"_Wow_, mom said it was bad." Zachary wandered in, he disregarded knocking as usual.

"Piss off, Zach." She mumbled.

"Hey, I was jus-" He started again, but then stopped as she shot an angry look his way.

"Jesus Zee, what the hell _happened_ to you on that island?" He muttered. _You wouldn't even believe._ She spoke in her mind. Zatanna then proceeded to wipe down her shirt, the reason she had taken off the jumper in the first place. Then she pulled it back on and headed downstairs. She was surprised to see her best friend Artemis as she approached the living room.

"_Zatanna_!" She raced towards her, forever enthusiastic.

Zatanna stepped back to let Artemis hug her, but not slam into her.

"Man, have I missed you!" Artemis grinned.

"_Yes,_ you have." Zatanna replied jokily. Sindella interrupted their reunion.

"We thought Artemis could stay for dinner." She smiled, to which they both nodded.

Zatanna winced as she sat down to the roast chicken. The stitches were already pulling apart. She was served her dinner and was obliged to participate in light small talk with her family and extensions.

"I think you should be putting in some hours at the office if you're going to own it, don't _you_?" Clark suggested, to which Zatanna merely nodded. She really didn't like the idea of becoming her father.

"So... What's happened while I was away?" She asked, intrigued.

"Well, Zachary is at college, and..."

Sindella paused to think.

"Mom and Walter got _married_." Zachary added, a shining smile on his tanned face. His mother looked at him disapprovingly.

"May I please be excused?" Zatanna didn't wait for an answer and just got up.

"For God's _sake_, Zachary! She's been here for _eight_ hours and you're _already_ screwing up her life!" Artemis whispered, grabbing her jacket and walking out of the door. The "family" continued the roast in silence.

* * *

Zatanna sat on her windowsill, watching the lighting strike the pavements and the rain pour down the window. She heard the occasional crack of thunder. The window itself was open, letting droplets of water spit on her face. She kept replaying the ship's sinking in her mind. The weather was not helping.

"_Zatanna_." A hand reached out and placed on her shoulder from behind her; she automatically grabbed it and twisted it around, thinking it was an assassin.

She turned to see her mother and let go.

"I just wanted to see if you were alright... I-_I_-" Sindella was confused and mildly scared.

"I'm sorry, it's just the island... It was... _Intense_." Zatanna adjusted her seating on the windowsill and motioned for her mother to leave, just as Clark walked in. _This is all I need, a public display of caring._ Zatanna thought sarcastically.

"You should rest." Clark directed her mother out of the room as Zatanna got into her bed. It took her a long while to sleep in peace.

Zatanna knocked on her brother's door as he was getting ready for school.

"Come in." She entered in him and his carpool buddy, Tommy, looking shifty. They both fiddled with their ties.

"Zach, I've got something for you." Zatanna reached into her pocket. She took out a knot of leather.

"Wow, five years and you _still_ got a souvenir?" Zachary mumbled, taking the ball in his hands.

"It's and endless knot, the Buddhist symbol for reconnection. I kept it all these years in hope that one day I'd reconnect with you." She then walked out, mentally ticking her first job of the day.

"Dude, your sister is _so_ hot. _Hook me up?_" Tommy elbowed Zach, only to get a slap in the face.

"Thanks for the stuff." Zach mumbled, dragging his friend out to the car.

* * *

"No."

"Yes."

"_NO_."

"_YES_!"

"_Fine_." Zatanna gave in to Artemis' idea of a welcome home party.

"Cool! Just tell me where you want to have it and I'll do all the rest!" She slapped a hand against her steering wheel, supposedly clapping.

"Why did you want to go thorough this neighbourhood?" Artemis' blonde hair shook as she shuddered dramatically. They slowly passed an abandoned Zatara Industries warehouse.

"No reason." She mumbled, as they sped up to get out of the dodgy alleyway. After a few minutes of silence, Artemis broke it.

"So, what did you miss most while you were gone? Clubs? Money? _Alcohol_?" She teased.

"_Dick_." Zatanna spoke, to which Artemis sighed.

"Everyone's happy to know you're okay... You really want to rekindle with the _only_ one who _doesn't_?" Zatanna nodded. Artemis couldn't begrudge Zatanna a glimpse of her ex, and so drove her to the attorney office in the centre of Gotham.

"Hey, Dick? Your hot friend is here!" Wally elbowed him as Zatanna walked though the door of the office. Wally had worked at the office for around four years and therefore didn't know about her. Zatanna knocked on his cubicle and then walked in. He scowled at her.

"Long time no see." He muttered and went back to his work.

"So... How's it _going_?" Zatanna rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"Don't play _innocent_, Zee." Dick spat the latter word and continued his case on Alan Dent.

"_What_!?" She spoke, shocked. You'd think after five years apart we'd be closer...

"You didn't even call to tell me that you were going on a cruise." He tutted.

"It was kinda short notice, dad-" Zatanna tried to justify herself.

"Your dad? He's gone now. It should have been _you_." Dick motioned for her to leave, which she did. He shouldn't still be het up on that, it was five years ago!

"So, _how'd_ it go?" Artemis followed the same route the had taken to get back to the Manor.

"Not so great, Dick's _always_ been one to hold a grudge. I should have seen it coming." She sighed.

"Yeah, _and_ I told you he wouldn't want to see you..." Artemis mumbled. "I didn't eve-" Zatanna began but was interrupted.

Two men in masks stood in front of the car like a wall and walked towards it while the two inside scrambled to get out.

"You Zatanna Zatara?" One of them asked, pinning her arms behind her back. She nodded, scared. The next thing she knew, she was rope-tied to a chair in the middle of the warehouse. Artemis was unconscious on a slab of wood to her right.

"Did your father make it to the island?" A masked villain held a gun to her larynx.

"_Why_?" She wheezed as it was shoved harder against her. Zatanna suddenly flashed back to before her father had died and heard his voice in her head.

"_I'm not the man you think I am_." It said. _So you're not a complete scumbag like everyone else in this city?_

"Did he?" One of her kidnappers put his finger on the trigger.

"_No_." She sighed, looking down. This hurt because there was still a gun to her throat.

"Did he tell you anything?" Another kidnapper asked, pointing a gun in her direction. Zatanna freed her hand from the rope and punched one of the enemies in the face as she got out of the trap.

With Artemis knocked out, she could punch as hard as she could. Which was _very_. The first punch skimmed Zatanna's chin, she noticed too late that it was a feint, though, when the second punch doubled her over and expelled the last bit of choked air from her stomach. Fortunately, she was used to it all. Mostly because of the island, but she also happened to have been in bar fights in four states and countless cities. Being friends with Artemis had its... _Moments_.

Zatanna shot a punch at one of the masked hooligans, who immediately fell to the floor. As if one cue, several more of them appeared. She noticed her friend waking up, and took the fight down a corridor. The first villain got up and retried with his opponent, being shot down in an instant. Zatanna had realised that these masked people may tell the police what she did... And she couldn't risk them being alive. Killing each opponent with ease, she muttered an apology to the last of them.

"_I'm sorry._" Killing was the only way.

* * *

"Tell us what happened." Detective Wayne interrogated Artemis. She was sat at a table like a criminal would be, which made her look really shifty.

"Hey, _umm_," Artemis squinted and lifted her hand to her forehead.

"Could you get rid of the spotlight please? I feel like a _villain_..." She finished awkwardly. Zatanna walked in, with a cast on her arm from the fight.

"Good of you to join us, _Miss Zatara_." Wayne growled and sat her down opposite him as well. "What happened?" He asked. Artemis shrugged.

"I wasn't even awake, so I have absolutely _no idea _what happened..." She almost laughed, it wasn't that big a deal. The kidnappers were in prison, weren't they? Detective Wayne turned to Zatanna.

"And _you_?" He eyed her. She cleared her throat.

"They wanted to know if my father made it to the island, and if he'd told me anything." He nodded at this, his assistant writing it down.

"And you said..." He rolled his hand in a continuing motion.

"_Nothing_. I didn't say anything." Zatanna sounded proud.

"And what did they do?" His partner, John Jones, asked. She sighed and continued.

"I don't know what they were going to do-" She was cut off by Detective Wayne sounding intrigued.

"_Why_?" He asked.

"There was a girl in a green hood. _She_ saved us." Zatanna stated. Wayne whispered to John.

"We're going to get an artist's impression on who you saw. _Take five_."

* * *

**Random not very cliffhangery cliffhanger. I don't want to write more than 1000 words a chapter, so yeah. Oh, this is based on Arrow too.**


	3. Vigilance

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

**Or Arrow, for that matter...**

**WARNING; SUBLIMINAL DRUG USE.**

* * *

Chapter Three: Vigilance

"A girl... Tell us, did she look like _this_?" The artist held up a sketch of a dark-haired girl in a green hood. Zatanna nodded even though it only looked vaguely correct. The real girl had been there, but not in costume. It was her.  
"Hhm, we'll keep an eye out." Detective Wayne ushered the two out, where Artemis took her car home. Zatanna's mother was gesturing for her to get into their car.

* * *

"I'm _telling_ you, Sindella; this company is one that _wants_ to be bought, and if it's now Zatanna's, she needs to be _safe_!" Clark told her for the seven hundredth time. She gave in and dialled the number for bodyguards. She still didn't think that her roguish daughter needed it. She did karate as a kid, wasn't that enough? Clearly not.

"Zatanna. Come down." Her mother called up the stairs the next day. The girl slid sideways down the banister and flipped off the end, landing in front of Sindella. She eyed the strange man next to her mother.  
"Zatanna, this is Roy Harper. He's your bodyguard." Zatanna slapped her forehead and tried to object, but the deed was done. She extended a hand.  
"Good to meet you." She smiled and then pointed up the stairs to signal she was going to get dressed.

Around ten minutes later, she came down. "Um, so do I call you Roy, or sir? Or what?" She asked awkwardly.  
"Roy is fine." He nodded and took her out to the car so they could go to the office. In the car, Zatanna sat in the back shuffling around. Normally there would be more people.  
"So the _army_, huh?" She eventually broke the ice.  
"Yeah, it was good. Lost my brother. It was my home," while he was distracted, Zatanna combat rolled out of the car.

She followed the familiar road to the abandoned warehouse, owned now by her. She trudged through all of the planks of wood and cinder blocks everywhere, and began excavating. After several hours, she had found the hole and underground room she had created as a kid. Her dad had helped, but ultimately the room was hers. Zatanna had used it as a gym before the island, and found this even more helpful now.

She had always been handy with computers, but had learned much from Dick. He had taught her about wiring and codes and all sorts, making the next on the agenda much easier. Zatanna moved some spare tables around to create a base of operations, with computers and lots of technology. She placed her retractable bow, which she had concealed in a laptop case, on a hook on the wall, placing her garbs in the box below it. Zatanna then proceeded to train; after all, if she _was_ going to be a hero, then she would need to be reasonably fit.

* * *

Zatanna sat on top of the building adjacent to Dent Multinational, bow poised and ready, dressed in her vigilante outfit that she had partially made on the island. She pulled the string back and fired a grapple arrow into the other building, then used her bow to slide down it and she started opening the window to enter the company base. She hid in the shadows as she made her way to Alan Dent's office. As she broke down the door, Dent called security immediately. She aimed her bow at his face just before several guards came to take her down.

She punched, kneed and kicked her way back to facing Alan. She had maintained her bow's position, and tightened her grip on the arrow.  
"Alan Dent. You _will_ transfer forty million dollars into this bank account right now! And if you _don't_, _I'll_ do it. But you won't like how." Zatanna readied herself to shoot, as she kicked another guard behind her. She slid a piece of paper across his desk. The man laughed.  
"And what makes you think I will?" She eyed him closely, and then looked for only a second at her watch. Ten to ten. She had ten minutes until he party started and she'd be expected to be there. "I'm _not_ going to." He spat, defiant.

She shot the arrow, squarely missing Dent's head. "You missed." He sniggered, to which she just smiled.  
"Did _I_?" She was stalling. The arrow was draining the money into the bank account as she did this. "Well, you've been _warned_. What you're doing is wrong and it _sickens_ me." Zatanna watched as the last bit of money was taken and the sign on the arrow went green. She jumped out of the window on a grapple arrow and rolled onto the building she had came from.

* * *

"Wow, Artemis. Nice job!" Zatanna complimented the party. Her friend smiled at this.  
"I try." She winked and wandered off to talk to some guests. Zatanna smoothed down her crimson minidress and stood by the wall, surveying the area. She tapped her black wedge on be back wall as she checked her watch. _Alright, I've been here for about twenty minutes and there's been no police. Any second now... _She thought with a sigh. As she turned to walk to the bathroom, a tap on the shoulder caught her.

Her bodyguard was stood, arms folded, grumpy look on face, shaking his head at her. Zatanna looked at the floor. "I had errands to run. _Feminine_ errands?" She almost questioned her speech. Roy laughed.  
"I can deal with it. There were girls in the army." He stood by her, protective. She folded her arms in a grump. Roy was mildly suspicious.

* * *

"You _will_ find the hood. _And_ catch her." Alan glared at the police in his office.  
"Lets just see if we have the same girl... Describe what she looked like." Jones took out a notebook.  
"Well, she was wearing the green hood with a green tunic. Brown belt, quiver with a bunch of weird arrows in it... I think they were black, yes black, leggings. Brown ankle boots. She had black hair, but I couldn't see her eyes." He listed the things off on his fingers, still seething. John wrote this down.

"And what if we _don't_ find her to bring her to justice?" He was always prepared for every situation.  
"_You. Will._" Dent prodded his chest and ushered him out of the room. A few moments later, his business partner crashed through the door.  
"Alan, we've lost forty _million_ dollars from our deposits!" He was out of breath from running.  
"_Hood_." Alan spat through gritted teeth.

* * *

The door of the club flew open, and a bunch of policemen filed in and headed straight for Zatanna. Detective Wayne came face to face with her, Roy had to push him back because he was so close.  
"The hood has been confirmed. You _were_ telling the truth." He shot a thin smile her way. "If she confronts you again, contact us." He added before taking his men and walking away.  
"_Hey_," Zatanna shouted after him. Wayne turned back and stepped forward.

"She _saved_ me!" She stated, a little bit upset that she was seen as a nuisance.  
"She's a _vigilante_, we don't know _why_ she helped you. But she nearly _killed_ half of the guards at Dent Multinational!" He said, before continuing on his way. _Nearly, sure. _"If she wants trouble, then sure as _hell_ she'll get it." Detective Wayne mumbled as she stepped onto the streets.

Zatanna sat down at the bar, and twirled around on the stool to face the happy dancing guests. She spotted a familiar face; familiar and _way_ too young to be there. She walked up to him and grabbed his arm.  
"Zachary! What are you _doing_!?" She pointed to the drugs in his hand, to which he shrugged.  
"Partying! Lighten _up_, Zee." He laughed, drunk.  
"_Roy_?" Zatanna turned on the spot and signalled for her guard to come over.

"Please take my brother and his friend home. They don't belong here." She shoved the boys into Roy's chest. He nodded and dragged them away. _Some people don't mature..._ Zatanna then turned and jogged to the bathroom she _really_ needed by this time. She didn't look where she was going and slammed into someone. _Dick_. "What are you doing?" He asked, his blue eyes meeting with hers.

"Well, it's my party... I kinda had no _choice_." She shrugged. The two awkwardly looked at each other for a long while.

* * *

**Wow, not even finished the first episode yet! Enjoy? Drop a nice little review for me!**

**- Chalantelle out! :3**


	4. Repeat

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice. **

**For more disclaimers, see chapters one and three.**

* * *

Chapter Four: Repeat

Zatanna tried to edge around Dick, yet he grabbed her arm.

"Did he suffer?" He whispered into her ear. She turned fast and shot a confused look at him. There was no way he could know!

"W-_who_?" She stuttered. He rolled his eyes.

"Your dad. He was a good friend, you know. We were clo-"

"_No_. He didn't." Zatanna butted in.

"Oh." Dick brushed his suit down.

"I _really_ have to go." She tried again to step around him.

"Uh, before you go; I didn't mean what I said... When I said it should have been you." He patted her shoulder. "_Welcome home_." She smiled at this and continued towards the bathroom. Just as she was getting there, Artemis got in her way.

"_Speech_!" She ushered her friend onto the stage, where everyone was crowded around. Zatanna stood in front of countless people she only vaguely knew.

"If you don't know, I'm Zatanna Zatara," She began.

"And I see that not much has changed here in Gotham. It's so nice to have this party to celebrate me coming home... I hope you're enjoying yourselves! I know I am. _Thank you_!" She grinned and walked off the stage. There was an uproar of cheers and clapping as she waved came to face Roy, who had somehow managed to get back in time for the speech. "Ooooh. It's _you_..." She smiled awkwardly. He pointed outside, and she assumed he'd be waiting by the car.

Zatanna ran into Dick again. "Sorry-" he spoke, clearly still upset with himself for being so rude.

"No, it's okay. Listen, I'm _not_ the same girl. I'm _not_ safe and you should stay away from me. I'm _not_ a better person." She pushed past him with little force, leaving him astounded. _I suddenly don't need the bathroom anymore_. Zatanna headed out of the back door.

* * *

At the accountancy floor of Dent Multinational, Zatanna had already rang the fire bell to evacuate the employees. She jogged over to a computer, adjusting her quiver as she did. Checking the files, she found a list of all of the people that had been scammed out of their homes. Highlighting each one, she only just had enough time to send them all enough money to buy their houses back before the replacement security came in to take her down.

She aimed and fired her bow and ducked behind desks to get out of the building. As Zatanna was about to exit through a window, she was punched hard in the chest, knocking her to the ground. Several minutes later, she woke up; zip lined to the club and slipped through a high window.

* * *

As she jogged downstairs, back in her dress, the police burst through the door again. _Déjà vu_. She thought. "This party is over. _Everybody out!_" Detective Wayne ordered, as people became confused and started leaving anyway.

"You're on private property, you can't do this!" Artemis explained.

"Oh yes we can, the hood has struck again. We cannot be certain she won't attack _you_." Wayne spoke, pushing more people out of the door. They filed back in anyway.

"_Hey_!" Zatanna stood on stage, and spoke into the microphone.

"Two million dollars for _anyone_ who gathers information on the hooded girl!" She smiled, knowing she'd be keeping the money. Eventually, everyone but Artemis and Zatanna had left.

"So, what a coincidence that the hood attacks twice in one night right near the club, _eh_?" She elbowed Zatanna. Zatanna laughed sheepishly, pulling her friend outside where Roy was waiting.

"I never asked," Artemis spoke as she got into the car. "What happened to you on the island?" Zatanna got in after her.

"_A lot_." She spoke after a while. Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, uh, I'm confused. It was a tropical island, there's no way it was _that_ bad! Zatanna looked at her with a withheld look. She wasn't going to say much, but this was her best friend.

"You have to understand that the island changed me. There were things that happened... Things I felt, that should not be." She sighed and clenched her fist, locking it into her other hand.

* * *

"Wally look at this!" Dick smiled as he beckoned his college. "All of these clients who were ripped off by Dent have their money back! How did this happen... Who _cares_! Look at these positive emails!" Wally peered over his shoulder at the emails. He grinned and hi-fived his mate.

"So... How was the party?" He changed the subject.

"Dad ruined it; like he ruins _everything_! I know I'm his only son because Jason died... But he could let me have a bit of space, right?" Wally nodded at this. Dick didn't even know how Jason had died... He just knew that all of Bruce's parenting was now focused solely on him. And he _hated_ that.

* * *

Artemis and Dick walked together down the high street. "We can make this work... Just because Zatanna's back, that doesn't mean we have to stop seeing each other!" She smiled sadly at the floor as she watched his shadow shake his head.

"It _can't_ work. What we had... Was _nice_. But I just-" Dick began.

"You love Zatanna, I get it." She sighed. He shook his head again.

"No. She told me to stay away from her... I can't, but if she wants me to... I..." His head was all over the place. She knew this, and left him to think by himself.

* * *

Zatanna sat on the edge of her bed, flicking through the book until she realised what she was doing. She opened the book to the first page and crossed out the name Adam Dent. He was dealt with. But there were still so many more of Gotham's most disgustingly rich people to get back at on the list. And one by one, Zatanna would get them all. Every single one.

* * *

**There's a little hint of past-traught! Hehe, there's a few outfits on my profile if you like that kind of stuff... Review if you have any nice comments! Also, this is a bit shorter than the norm, but it's still over a thousand words.**

**- Chalantelle out! :3**


	5. Resurrection

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

* * *

Chapter Five: Resurrection

_Smack. Punch. _Zatanna shoved more alley thugs over and handed the rolled up money to the teenage boy who had had it stolen from him. A masked guy snuck up behind her with a gun, but she turned and shot him with an arrow. "That was _so_ cool!" The boy jumped happily and ran away waving. She waved slowly. _At least not everyone thinks I'm a no-good vigilante..._

* * *

Zatanna straightened her shirt as she pulled on her blazer. She was due to appear in court to be legally resurrected, but she was nervous. She felt unworthy. The Zatanna Zatara who went missing was _not_ the same one who came back. As she walked down the pavement to the courtroom, she thought about all of the things she'd done in the last three weeks. Zatanna had became a vigilante, been shot at, bought countless new outfits and even found out her brother was doing drugs.

"I was on the island for five years. I felt that I needed to live for me and my father so I survived as best I could. Now I'm back... And I see that Gotham is even worse. I'm determined to make everything better by running my dad's company." Zatanna stopped her statement to look at the judge.

"Does anyone have a reason as to why this lady can't be legally reborn?" The judge asked, seeing that nobody answered. She wrote on a sheet of paper and handed it to her assistant.

After the trial, Zatanna headed out of the double doors, hi-fiving Artemis as she went. "So now you're alive, whatcha wanna do?" Artemis asked.

"If it's all the same with you," Zatanna stopped to check her watch. "All I want is to go home." She turned and started walking out. Artemis followed her. "Uh, you know _Roy_. I'm gonna just go out and-" Zatanna chucked her jacket in the open car before walking away.

_How am I meant to protect her if she keeps resisting?_ He thought angrily, and drove himself home.

* * *

"You keep _losing_ my daughter! Do you even _know_ where Zatanna goes when she ditches you?" Sindella growled at Roy. He honestly did not know.

"I have absolutely _no_ idea, may-"

"Perhaps you should ask _Zatanna_?" She stood in the doorframe, head tilted with sarcastic inquiry.

"What is wrong with you!? You're going to get yourself killed... Why don't you just stay with Roy? For me?" The mother pleaded.

"You've just gotta keep up, Roy." Zatanna smiled and jogged up the stairs to her room.

"Next time you go off on one of your little rendezvous, take Roy with you?" Sindella sighed as she stood at the bottom of the staircase.

"I guess." She grinned and continued up the stairs.

"I'll quit if she does it again..." Roy mumbled.

* * *

"How am I supposed to stay away from you, if _you_ come to _me_?" Dick sighed.

"What's your case?" Zatanna was in Dick's office.

"Marvin Winters. There's evidence that he's been using Chinese triads to smuggle drugs into the city, and he's had a witness killed just to save his little illegal business. That witness' daughter is looking for justice. And I'm going to help her get it." He tapped at his computer, bringing up files and news reports of sightings of the triad. Zatanna nodded, taking it all in.

"What was the witness' name?" She asked, noting for future reference. "Daniel Sandsmark, expert archaeologist. He was digging on site when he saw the triad and Winters conferring. His daughter, Cassie, was told about his sightings just before he was murdered." Dick stared into her eyes.

"How're you doing?" She rubbed his shoulder, knowing it was a hard case.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Cassie's _really_ set on this... I'm _not_ going to let her down." He smiled.

"I've gotta run, but good luck!" Zatanna replied, walking fast out of the office. Wally entered the office just as she left.

"I thought she said to stay away from her?" He stated.

"So did I. And yet she comes to me..." Dick answered, searching for more dirt on Winters.

* * *

"Marvin Winters, you _failed_ this city." Zatanna shot an arrow at the man who was now tied upside down hanging from the ceiling.

"You think you're scaring me, _little girl_?" He chuckled, leaving her to fire another arrow even closer to his face.

"Confess to the murder of Daniel Sandsmark or I _will_ be back!" She left him hanging there.

* * *

"Haha you're _so_ irresponsible, Zach!" Zatanna laughed as her brother stumbled down the stairs with his hand on his forehead.

"Don't _frigging_ judge me." He mumbled.

"Hey, _hey_. We don't need any of that _sass_!" She sniggered into her cereal.

"Oi. You _can't_ just come back from the dead and _judge_ me!" he got up with an apple and went to get dressed. _Douchebag_. Zatanna thought.

* * *

"We understand that the hood attacked you last night, could you provide some details?" Detective Wayne slid a picture of "the hood" across the table to him.

"It doesn't _matter_, I'm not harmed." Winters growled.

"Fine. _Be_ hostile, but if you're in cahoots I swear-" Wayne mumbled.

"As if. You won't say anything about this interview. I'm a _powerful_ man, Bruce. You _don't_ want to be on the wrong side of me." He got up and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

**Random cliffhanger! I think there's going to be 46 chapters in this story, and the sequel will have 46 also. I've calculated that I spend four chapters on each episode of Arrow, so that makes 92 altogether for season 1, splitting it nicely between two stories. When season 2 airs in Britain I'll be sure to make more for that too! Before I go, yes I am British so I don't understand much American stuff. I'll try and edit out the English nonsense as much as I can!**

**- Chalantelle out! :3**


	6. Outing

**Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.**

* * *

Chapter Six: Outing

"Zatanna, we'd like to show you around the headquarters. We've had some remodelling done, so we would like you to see how Zatara Consolidated is now." Clark stood before his step-daughter.

"I'm not really sure I _want_ to own a company..." She mumbled, before finding herself being guided by Roy out of the door and into the car.

"We're planning on naming a new building after John." Sindella spoke as they neared the headquarters.

_So soon... _Zatanna thought as she nodded. She was shown around various blocks and departments offices and canteens until they ended up in Clark's office. "Ugh, _travailler_." Zatanna sighed as she sat opposite Clark. He looked genuinely shocked, as if he hadn't already caught on.

"I didn't realise you spoke _French_, Zatanna." He spoke sincerely.

"I did not realise you wished to sleep with my _mother_, Clark." She shot back, to the disapproval of Sindella.

Coming out of the office, Roy spoke to Zatanna. "You should _value_ your family. You never know when you'll lose someone... I lost my brother in the army, I know what it's like." While he was speaking, Zatanna thought about her experience while she was away.

* * *

"Hey, _hey_! _Get away_!" Zatanna pushed the hungry seagulls away from her father's corpse. The life raft had just came to shore, and John was still in it. She lugged the body on her back as she trudged up a hill. As soon as she was in safety, Zatanna out the body down. Just as she did so, an arrow shot her right through the gallbladder.

* * *

Bruce stormed through the door of the law firm. "_Richard_?" He opened the office's door just as his son put the phone down. "You and Cassandra are getting twenty-four-seven protection." Dick almost laughed at his father's paranoia.

"We don't need it." He smiled, and tapped away at his computer.

"Yes you _do_, the hood is still active; Winters is a _dangerous_ man!" Dick looked at him with an exasperated face.

"You _always_ do this." He sighed.

"What?" Wayne folded his arm.

"Overreact; I know I'm your only child, but does that really mean th-"

"Do you wanna know why you're my only child?"

"Actually, _yeah_. You never said how Jase died." Wayne exhaled heavily.

"_Zatanna_ killed Jason." He said after a while.

"WHAT!?" Dick raged, crumpling up pieces of paper in his fists.

"He went with her on the cruise. And he _died_." Detective Wayne finished, leaving his son astounded.

"And... You've kept this from me, _why_!?"

"I didn't want to hurt you..."

"Well that's all you've _done_! Just, _go_." Dick ushered his father out.

* * *

"Mr Winters, how may we be of _service_?" a lady in black spoke.

"Richard Wayne." He slid a picture across his desk to her. "He's meddling in our affairs; _kill him_." She nodded.

"Yes, sir." She took the picture and looked at all of the details on the back. Marvin grinned maniacally as she left, followed by her triads. Drug smuggling will be so much easier after this...

* * *

"Zee, can I talk to you?" Zach sat down on the sofa next to her. "Depends what about..." She muttered, turning off the television.

"What happened to you... On the island?" He looked right at her, intrigued. She sighed.

"_No_. I'm not talking to you about that. _Anything else_?" Zatanna stood up, straightening her jumper.

"Come with me." He took her hand and pulled her to the garden.

"That's me... And _dad_." She mumbled as she gazed upon what he gestured to. Tombstones. "When you were away, I'd come here and talk to you; ask for advice. And now you're home... I feel that I was closer to you then than now." She looked at Zachary as he poked her tombstone.

"I'm sorry, it's just I'm _not_ the same." Zatanna stepped away and waved slowly.

"_Zatanna_!" He tapped her shoulder and she turned to face him. "You have to let _someone_ in." She nodded and continued to the house.

* * *

_Knock, knock. _Dick opened the door to see Zatanna. "You don't keep your promises, _do you_?" He laughed sheepishly.

"I, _urm_. When I was on the island, I vowed that if I ever got back, I'd do this with you... Eat ice cream." She smiled, holding out a brown paper bag with a tub in it. Dick laughed and gestured for her to enter. He sat on his couch and she took out he ice cream, placing it on the table. "I know I didn't keep my promise, I did it to protect you." She tilted her head and looked at him as he dove a spoon into the chocolate dessert.

"Why would you need you protect me? I already know about Jason." Dick folded his arms, looking for an explanation.

"I didn't... Your dad told you, _didn't he_?" Zatanna sighed as he nodded.

"Yeah... Did you... And he..." She shook her head.

"He insisted on coming, you know how he was with yachts." That made him more secure.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you... My mother isn't happy that I don't want to own the company, I've had a lot on my mind."

After talking a while about that, they moved on to a new subject. "My dad blames himself, not you, you know." They ate more ice cream. Zatanna raised an eyebrow. "Wow." She gulped the dessert down. "Shh. Did you hear that?" Zatanna whispered, putting her bowl down.

"Let's _move_!" She grabbed Dick's arm and pulled him into the kitchen just as the triads came smashing through the window. Bullets were sprayed, shurikens thrown, punches and kicks flying.

Zatanna blocked Dick for the whole time, not fighting back. The door was kicked down, and Roy shot at the intruders. They left through the window, diving and jumping, just as their leader, Cheshire, went to shoot Roy. Zatanna flung a kitchen knife to intercept the bullet. "Darn." Cheshire spat as she exited. A few minutes later, Detective Wayne entered with a gun. Zatanna had her hands in a surrender position, then had them pulled down by Dick.

"Everyone okay?" Wayne asked, lowering his gun.

* * *

**How'd you like that? I'm on a schedule now, so I should be able to update once a week! Apart from next week, I'm on holiday. I'll try!**

**- Chalantelle out! :3**


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